Inheritance
by Akili-chan
Summary: Anahit had grown up with tales surrounding her. Too bad all the stories of heroes never told her leaving food out attracted bears and monsters or that sometimes the only ones you can really trust are the mad and immoral. With a bounty on her head and a team of what can only be called motley at best Anahit wonders if she'll last the year.
1. Chapter 1

_The picture of Anahit that I'm using is by the wonderful *artastrophe on deviant art. I don't own anything in this story but Anahit and some ideas I'm going to use that aren't in the game. I'm also trying a new way of writing, so please give me feedback on how bad or good this story is!_

**Chapter One**

_1358 DR_

Anahit didn't like most of the visitors that came to Candlekeep. Firebead was nice and he came by so often that the girl considered him one of the monks. Travelling merchants also weren't much of a problem the few times they were allowed inside of the gates as they were always more interested in selling their ware then bothering anyone. Anahit didn't even really mind the friends of her foster father when they visited, even though each time she had to act like a lady and put up with being told how much she had grown because they sometimes brought something interesting for the hin-dwarf to play with or even an entire book just for her!

The nobles that came down were the problem. Anahit wondered why they were allowed in and had complained to her father about it not too long ago. Gorion had reminded her that visitors from noble families usually brought some of the oldest tomes, as though that made anything better. Most of the nobles complained the whole time that they were visiting; about the beds or the food or even about Anahit being underneath as they thought that they shouldn't have to deal with children on their vacation, or even worse (in Anahit's mind) always seemed to rope her into 'playing' with their offspring.

"Whatever, you're just a fat dwarf with hairy feet!" a boy with straw colored hair jeered at Anahit. The hin-dwarf clenched her fists and glared back, not caring that he stood a whole half foot taller.

"At least I don't have a fat nose!" the girl retorted as she attempted to hide her feet underneath her dress without anyone noticing. "And I get to run outside without shoes, so nyah!"

"Fat hairy dwarf! Fat hairy dwarf!" The boy chanted as he jumped up and down, pointing at Anahit. "You're father just told you that you're part Halfling! Really you're just hairy! I bet you'll wake up and hair will come out of your nose you're so hairy!" With tears forming in her eyes Anahit struck out against the boy, her hand slamming against his nose in anger. The boy began to cry, his loud sobs echoing through the inn as Anahit stared in shock at the blood squirting out from between his fingers.

Violence was forbidden inside the doors of Candlekeep. Those who shed the blood of another were quickly handed over to the guards and transported to Baldur's Gate. The hin-dwarf child felt fear creeping into her, would they put her in prison? Would Gorion let them take her away from him? Would he send her away himself out of anger?

"Anahit? ANAHIT?" At the sound of her father's voice the girl burst into her own sobs. The mage burst into the room, his greyed hair in disarray and face pale.

"I'm sorry!" Anahit wailed, "I didn't mean to hurt him!"

Gorion scooped up his daughter and began to run out of the inn to the library, ignoring the still sobbing boy. Anahit had never seen her foster father run, not even the time when someone had accidently summoned a cloud of imps. Yet he was now racing across the grounds of Candlekeep, and even stranger so was everyone else. He was also not answering her questions, he always answered her questions!

"Daddy?" Anahit whimpered, her fingers clenching Gorion's robes in fear. "Daddy?"

"Stay inside of my room child. Don't venture out no matter what you hear, alright?" Gorion placed the small girl on top of his bed, brushing away her hair from her face with a strained smile. "Don't worry, I will be back soon with food and toys for you." Anahit nodded, watching as her father strode away and tightly shut the door.

X X X

Two days later the first mob came to Candlekeep. Anahit had been learning how to translate Riftspeak by Gorion when the sounds of screaming had started. Gorion had gone pale white and hurried down the stairs as Anahit bounded to the window, curious to see just what was happening. The sight of so many people was a strange one, even the merchant caravans that passed by had never had so many people. And these people were different, they wore clothing unlike anything else that Anahit could recall seeing before in her life; coarse, undyed cloth for the most part and undecorated.

"Go home!" Uleraunt bellowed from inside of the Candlekeep gates. "We do not have the answers for you here! Go home and tend your farms until everything has passed!"

"You have the prophesies in there!" a voice bellowed back from the crowd. "Tell us what is going to happen or we'll burn the place to the ground!"

"Oghma guards this place!"

"THE GODS ARE DEAD! THEY PROTECT NOTHING!" Anahit shrunk back, mind whirling. The Gods dead? No, Gorion would have said something if it had been that. But no one was protesting the man's words. In fact the entire crowd of people was shouting the same words as him. Anahit felt tears forming in her eyes as the shouting between the two groups of people became even more fever pitched. She prayed as Gorion had taught her, prayed to any god that would listen to hear her and answer, just a small answer.

Outside Uleraunt bellowed at the guards to open fire. The crowd of people outside of the gates screamed as arrows buried into them. Some ran, others just became more agitated and rushed at the gates.

"Get away from the window child," Firebead's hands clasped Anahit's shoulders forcing her to look away. The small child was hiccupping in her attempt not to cry by now as the mage gently lead her back to Gorion's room. "Would you like me to tell you a story?"

"Can it be happy?" Anahit clung to the man's hand as he smiled and began to tell a story about a brave mage/cleric and his quest to stop a red dragon from harming people. Later on in the day Gorion also came in and told stories and Anahit almost could stop herself from smelling burning flesh.

X X X X

_1368 DR_

Gorion stared down at the sheets of paper laid before him. Inside of his mind the old mage was already going through the escape plans that he had worked on for almost twenty years. Choosing the best routes out of Candlekeep, trying to decide which cities would be the easiest to blend into.

But inside of those thoughts a small voice kept protesting "_she's too young!"_

"I am sorry to bring such bad news," Firebead looked out the window of the study. "Many of the other Harpers think that-"

"Most of the other Harpers have sticks up their ass and a head of their own importance!" Winthrop snapped. "They'd rather kill the girls themselves just in case!"

Gorion looked out the window to where Firebead was staring. Two young women sat on the railing of one of the cow pens reading over a book and pointing out bits to one another. The old human felt his lips lift a bit as he realized that it was yet another tome from the bit of the library forbidden to anyone but those deemed worthy by Uleraunt.

"We have to make it appear that only Anahit is a Bhaalspawn. I'll have Imoen check stock, she'll sneak out and think no one'll notice for hours." Winthrop began to make a list as he kept on murmuring. "Make sure to bring some ale Gorion! Anahit'll need something to keep her warm when it gets chilly!" Right. Anahit hated the cold. Ever since she had been a toddler the dwarfling had made sure to burrow inside of as many blankets as she could find.

Gorion forced himself to stand up and open the window. "Anahit, I need you to come here."

XXXX

Anahit had not been happy with the sudden news that they were going to be leaving in an hour. Of course she hadn't complained too much to Gorion but her foster father heard her telling Imoen how unfair it was as the two young women left.

Girls. They were still girls in Gorion's mind. He hadn't been able to bring himself to tell Anahit the reason behind their sudden flight out of Candlekeep. It felt like yesterday she had been begging the cooks for sweets, how could he tell Anahit that someone hated her just for existing? That someone she had never offended had placed a bounty on her head? So when she had appeared scowling and with a rucksack around her shoulder Gorion had just told her that they needed to go.

"Hurry child." _Oh my darling little girl. I'm so sorry._ "We have a long way to go." _I'll take her to Blackstaff. He has children. He'll understand._ A crack of sticks under heavy feet, the smell of ogre, whisper of steel coming out. So things would come to a head here in the middle of the empty forest.

No

No. Gorion wouldn't allow it to happen. The monstrously human man was demanding her. Demanding the little girl that Gorion had sung to sleep. She had fit into his hands when first born. The tiny babe crying for her dead mother as the midwives wrapped the body in cloth. Better for Anahit to hate him forever then to die out here.

_I'm sorry._ The charm spell hit her and he yelled at her to run; yelled loud enough that Imoen would also hear and prayed that the taller girl wouldn't be foolish enough to jump into battle. The ogres went down with powerful spells; the woman was brought to her knees from a few hits. The man bellowed as she fell. So even monsters had loved ones.

_If you can hear me Mystra guard my daughter. Deneir lead your charge from danger._ No prayers for himself, he had already grown older than most men. _Please don't let my lack of training get her killed._

Gorion's last thought was to wonder if Anahit had packed enough food.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Coward_ a voice inside of Anahit's head taunted as the brown haired woman trudged down the road with a tight grip on Imoen's wrist. In such dark weather even Anahit couldn't see more than inches and with the threat of whatever had killed Gorion they had to keep moving. Even if each step was like lifting a rock and she wanted to do nothing more than curl up onto the ground and bawl like a small child, Anahit needed to get herself and Imoen someplace safe.

They couldn't go back to Candlekeep. They could be killed right by the gates and the guards wouldn't be allowed to help the either women out. She had no idea how far it was to the nearest town, or even if they would be following the right road to get someplace with lots of people or if it was a path leading to a troll den. Gorion had always told Anahit that she had to think things over, usually after she had managed to get some of the more uptight monks angry at her. Anahit tried to think of what her foster father would do if he was still there but all Anahit could think about was how her foster father had been left alone because someone had wanted her dead.

"I have to get you someplace safe," the long haired dwarfling muttered out loud.

"You mean get us someplace safe, right?" Imoen panted. "How far until we can rest?"

"I can't let you stay with me. That guy who k-killed Gorion said we wanted me. You're not safe-" Anahit was yanked backwards as Imoen came to a sudden stop. "We need to keep moving Imoen! I have to get you someplace before he-"

"I'm not leaving you!" Imoen snapped, grabbing ahold of Anahit's shoulders to spin her around so that the two young women were looking at one another. "What do you think I'd let a friend stumble around alone with someone trying to kill her?"

"Are you crazy? They killed Gorion, how are you going to stay safe?" Anahit's eyes started to water as images of Imoen sharing Gorion's fate flashed through her mind. The dwarfling looked away and tried to furtively wipe the tears away.

"Hey," Imoen placed a hand on Anahit's shoulder. "I'm here ok? Besides now you know that someone is looking for you and what he looks like. Besides there's safety in numbers right? Just leave it up to Imoen the Wonderful and her trusty bow!" Anahit gave a hiccupping laugh. She knew that she should be protesting Imoen following along, that she should leave the purple and pink clad woman in the net town; but Anahit wasn't sure that she would be able to keep moving along without Imoen being right behind her.

"Ok Lady Wonderful, let's get going." Anahit tried to smile back but wasn't sure that her lips did more movement than a quiver on the edges.

X X X

Anahit had no idea how humans managed to survive without low light vision. Not only had she been leading Imoen around the road but the auburn haired woman hadn't even seen the movement ahead of them.

"Hey what've you stopped?" Imoen asked in a loud voice. Anahit winced as the creatures screamed at the sudden noise before starting to rush the two travelers. "Oh shit!"

"Aim for the noise!" Anahit hollered back as she yanked her crossbow into her arms and aimed for the monsters. She really had no idea what was attacking them but the hin-dwarf was pretty sure that shooting them in the head or neck would at least slow them down. Finally all of the 'target practice' shooting rats in storage rooms was starting to pay off.

Bright light smashed into one of the creatures, lighting up the area as it went down with the smell of burning flesh followed by another volley of magic missiles. The monster that Anahit had been firing bolts into finally went down and the smaller woman slowly walked up to them. What had seemed like a small herd ended up being three sickly looking gibblings; one cut down by Anahit's crossbow and two laying on the ground from whatever Imoen had hit them with.

"How did you do that?" Anahit asked as she eyed the dead monsters just in case one of them decided to get up and attack again. "Learned magic and forgot to tell me?" The brown haired woman tried to sound joking as she nudged one of the smoking gibblings with her foot.

"What? Oh um.. I may have… sorta borrowed this wand from someone." Just like the two had been borrowing books from the forbidden areas of the library just yesterday, hopefully it had just been one of the more stuffy monks. "So um.. is it just me or is there a light over that way?"

"You don't need to try and talk your way out of things with me," Anahit rolled her eyes even though there was no way the taller woman would have been able to see the movement on the moonless night. "Come on, who stood as lookout when that bratty-"

"No really, I think I see a light!" There was a light of some sort, though not big enough to be a town or inn. Perhaps a farmhouse or camp? "We should go check it out, they have to help us, it's the unwritten rule of the road!"

"The unwritten rule of the road?"

"Yeah! Every time that two parties of adventurers meet they have to share food and stories, it always happens in books!" Anahit could also recall a few stories that ended with the travelers killing one another over something stupid like a riddle game but she was hungry, tired, and lost enough that the decision was an easy one to make.

"Alright, we're going in slowly. If it looks like the- If it looks like danger we're going around." The two young women crept into the trees and bushes, Anahit letting go of her friend's arm once she figured that the light from the fire was enough that Imoen wouldn't be tripping over her own feet in the dark. Of course she was so caught up in making sure that Imoen wasn't going to make any noise that Anahit forgot to check her own feet. Or perhaps the trap trigger had been very well hidden, either way the long haired dwarfling found herself falling to the ground as something tightened around her foot.

"HA! Told ya my trap'll work wizard!" A male voice bellowed out from the camp. Anahit tried frantically to roll over and get the trap off as Imoen dropped to one foot. "Let's go finish 'em off so I can get some sleep!"

"Wait! NO!" Imoen and Anahit shrieked. "We're not gibblings! We come in peace!" Imoen kept on going as Anahit's hand went for blade at her belt. She doubted that whoever had set traps around their camp was going to just come on over and-

"Oh by Sune's left tit! Now we have children wondering all around the place." Anahit gaped at the colorful words as a halfling man appeared from the shadows as if he'd been hidden by an invisibility spell and gave a yank onto the trap that had it falling apart in seconds. Anahit slowly got to her feet hoping that he wouldn't decide to kill them with the short sword in his left hand. "Let me guess, you're going to find a cave with treasure in it and end all of your village troubles with it." The halfing man spat onto the ground. "Well it ain't gonna happen, so go home."

"W-we can't go home," Anahit felt her lip starting to quiver. "M-my father was killed and we can't go back s-so." Her eyes started to water again but Anahit fought the tears back. "We don't know where we are and just hoped that you could tell us how to get to the nearest town." By the Gods, could she be even more pathetic sounding?

"Mony are you scaring children again?" Someone's arms snaked around Anahit's neck and she found herself being yanked backwards into someone. "Tell Uncle Xzar allllll about it!"

"Shut up mage," Monty snapped as his sword finally went back into the sheath. "Tis not my fault if children go wondering with no sense." Anahit gave Imoen a pleading look but the human girl looked like she was thinking of just running away.

"Do you need a beeeed? Or maybe a job?"

"Er. What sort of job?" Anahit asked hoping that it wouldn't be anything bad. If they were going to try and force themselves onto her and Imoen wouldn't they have already done so? And she did need the money.

"We're going to save the world!" The brown haired dwarfling finally managed to get free and placed herself safely with her back against a tree. "Come along little children and earn riches beyond your wildest dream! Well unless you dream of chocolate planets." Children Anahit's ass, the mage didn't look much older than Imoen.

"Er, what sort of job is it?" This time Anahit looked at Monty in hopes that he wasn't the rambling type.

"Yer job would be to go with us into the Nashkell mines and see who be destroying the iron." Anahit thanks the Gods that she had been listening to the rumor mill in Candlekeep so she could nod her head and not make 'Monty'

"Oooh! You mean that you're both heros?" Both men looked pained at Imoen's question.

"Yes… we're heros. Off to help people," the halfling looked like the words psychically hurt him to spit out and even more pained at the noise of excitement from Imoen.

X X X

Strangely enough both men had insisted on the girls sharing the one tent while they rather gentlemanly slept outside in the rain; though Anahit had a feeling that Montaron (he'd nearly had a fit when she'd called him Monty) has insisted for strategic purposes. Xzar, on the other hand, had flopped over next to the fire and fallen asleep instantly. Imoen had placed a blanket over the mage before the girls had crept into the tent.

"Anahit? I'm not sure I trust them," Imoen muttered sleepily.

"They're not trying to kill us. And I don't have much money. It's not that far to Nashkell, right?" Anahit thought about the maps that they had poured over as children. Making up stories about how they would someday visit and steal all the jewels from the fattened rich and give half of it to the poor before building houses made of sugar and chocolate with giant bookcases filled with books both common and forbidden. "Maybe we could just do this and find a way back to Candlekeep."

"Don't wanna go back. Wanna go to Baldur's Gate."

The dwarfling felt her own eyes starting to slide shut. Her entire body felt like it was made of stone and dispite the fact that only a few hours ago she had started running for her life Anahit felt somewhat safe in the small tent with two strange and most likely dangarious men outside. "'k. Baldur's Gate."

"Or Waterdeep," Imoen snuggled close to Anahit. "Wanna start own guild." The auburn haired human started to snore.

"Waterdeep or Baldur's Gate. I promise."

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Real life has been a bit hectic recently. Hopefully things are becoming less so._


End file.
